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ERODIUM. The free flowering Storksbills are related to Pelargonium and to true
Geraniums, the Cranesbills. They adore sun and limestone and revel on chalk and other
free draining soils. On wet soils their thick necks are prone to rot in which case raised
beds or walls offer a suitable compromise. We love them and grow quite a number.
Hopefully we’ll have some of the following available by June.
E. ‘Grey Blush’, E x kolbianum. E. ‘Nunwood Pink’, E. ‘Spanish Eyes’, etc.
ERYNGIUM. The Eryngos, with their well designed defense mechanisms, are a
prickly bunch of characters but make with both their flowers and their foliage striking
garden plants. What’s more, they’re not difficult to please, given sun and reasonable
drainage. In cultivation they are divided between species from Europe and South
America, plus the odd hybrid. If you don’t grow them, why not give them a try.
E. bourgatii. Seedlings from a form with particularly deep metallic blue flower heads
and bracts. In the wild it grows in poor, stony soil. 60cm.
*E. giganteum ‘Silver Ghost’. The bleached pallor of the vengeful spiny bracts of this
striking biennial present themselves at thigh/bottom level so should be positioned
with care!
E. x oliveranum. An old E. alpinum hyrbrid, now hard to find, both stems and spiny
bracted flowers being cobalt blue. 60cm.
*E. pandanifolium. Of great architectural presence, in September great flowering
trunks rise to 2.5 metres over sword shaped leaves terminating in a branched
network of small maroon-purple flowers whose scent, once encountered, is not
easily forgotten.
*E. planum. Rather an unfortunate name for such a good garden plant. Always
provides a reliable and dazzling display of its small silvery blue flowers. 1m+
*E. serbicum. To our eyes, like a small form of E.planum with silvery blue flowers and
narrow bracts. Uncommon. 60cm.
*E x Zabellii. These are basically E. alpinum hybrids. Most are exceptional with steely
blue ruff-like bracts but they are not always easy to grow preferring we think good
drainage but not dryness. We grow several forms and hope to have some of these
available by mid-summer.
EUCOMIS. The following are among the most commented on plants in the garden
at Marchants. Their exotic look belies their dogged hardiness. We have yet to lose a
plant to cold but have noticed a complete dislike of being shouldered out by expansive
neighbours. Worth cosseting, our plants get a thick mulch of compost to see them safely
through the winter.
E. ex Harry Hay. These plants were raised by leaf blade cuttings begged from the
good man himself. The original plant was noted for its highly ornamental bottle
green seed capsules, not a feature that one would usually clock with this genus. Four
years on and height and flower colour remain unknown.
E. ex ‘John Treasure’. This form has a particularly good purple hue to the leaves,
stems and flowers. Grow this well and you’ll have something to boast about. 45cm.
E. ‘Marchants Purple Wave’. A seedling I selected several years ago for the curious
waved margins of the dark purple leaves, dusky pink flowers and short height. 35cm.
E. pallidiflora. A fantastic creation. Succulent strap-like basal leaves, stem and palest
green flowers all topped with a Pineapple like flourish. Hardy in the ground but less
so in pots. 90cm.
E. ‘Sparkling Burgundy’. The terrific strap like succulent leaves are deep matt purple,
a tone shared by the flowering stems and flowers, albeit a little diluted. A remarkable
plant. 1m. in flower.
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EUCOMIS ‘Sparkling Burgundy Seedlings’. Flowering sized plants are offered. Why
not throw the dice and try one of the children.
E. zambesiaca. At 30cm a small scale E. pallidiflora but equally characterful. Hardy
and just the plant for a classy stoneware pot. A few to spare.
EUPATORIUM ligustrinum. Not a shrub that flamboyantly announces itself, but
highly effective none-the-less. Its good evergreen foliage, structure and fluffy white
flower heads in late summer beautifully partners Asters and late flowering grasses. 2m.
*E. purpureum maculatum album. We hope to have plants available of this
uncommon white form for sale. 2m+.
*E. p. m. ‘Ankum’s August’. The claim from Nurseryman friend Coen Jansen that his
plant will grow to only 140cm has been severely put to the test on our rich clay. A
little taller here, it remains a good plant.
*E. p. m. ‘Orchard Dene’. Stood out in the Wisley trials with its huge heads showy
flowers and dark stems and deservedly awarded an. AGM.
E. p. m. ex. ‘Orchard Dene’. Flowering sized plants raised from seed of the above.
*E. p. m. ‘Purple Bush’. Fills a niche in being shorter than the type form yet identical
in every other respect. 1.5m.
E. p. m. ‘Riesenschirm’. Stout, glossy purple stems rise to 2.2m, climaxing in a display
of dusky rose-purple domed flower heads. A distinguished late summer perennial.
E. rugosum ‘Chocolate’. Snakeroot. Striking black-purple foliage and domed heads of
white flowers in autumn. An asset on all accounts for any fertile border in full sun.
1.5m.
EUPHORBIA. Given reasonable drainage the Spurges are easy to please and give
us all that we should expect of a plant. Do however be cautious of the white sap they
exude when torn or damaged. It can burn skin badly.
E. donii ‘Amjillasa’. A very handsome Kew collection from Nepal with large, chrome
yellow flower bracts. Seed raised. plants are offered. 1m+.
E. griffithii ‘Fern Cottage’. A very good form with decorative fiery reddish-orange
flower bracts to enliven the late spring border. 90cm.
E. jacquemontii. We hope to have a few plants to spare of this Himalayan rarity.
E. ‘Jade Dragon’. An E. amygdaloides hybrid, the heads of showy green flowers
punctuated with a conspicuous red eye fade to an equally beautiful dusky, soft red.
60cm.
E. polychroma ‘Midas’. Not difficult to imagine the bracts and flowers of this brilliant,
cheering spring flowering plant having been touched by King Midas’ hand and
consequently turned to Gold. 45cm.
*FERULA communis ssp. glauca. A spectacular fennel climaxing (after 3 years) in a
towering display of yellow ochre flowers in umbels on anything but ‘umble’ 3.5m high,
fat, glaucous stems. Breathtaking against a blue summer sky.
FILIPENDULA vulgaris ‘Multiplex’. Over cut, carrot like basal foliage, flower stems
carry creamy-white clouds of tiny double flowers. A charming plant of Cottage Garden
character. 45cm.
*FOENICULUM vulgare ‘Smokey’. Bronze Fennel. A good deep bronze seed strain
with a marked bloom to the young stems.
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